It has been a long wait for Pikmin and Olimar fans, but the next installment of the Pikmin series is finally here. Released on July 21, 2023, Pikmin 4 serves as the fourth mainline title in the series. This newest entry continues with the events of the last game, with the player once again playing as Captain Olimar, who has now found himself on another new planet due to a crash landing. Now, Olimar must survive, recruit Pikmin to fix his ship, and leave this new and mysterious planet. It’s safe to say that in Pikmin 4, there are a ton of things to discover and a plethora of enemies to fight. This also means it’s better to know how to save your progress in-game so that you don’t lose it when you eventually see the “Game Over” screen.
Playing for hours, getting far into the game, and then promptly getting curb stomped by a boss and losing your entire progress just because you forgot to save is a nightmare. That’s why in-game saves exist so that you don’t have to scream in rage anymore or throw your controller at the TV. That said, here’s how you can save your in-game progress in Pikmin 4.
Pikmin 4: How to save in-game progress
Like most modern games, Pikmin 4 offers two methods for you to save your in-game progress: Auto Save and Manual Save. Players can use either of these to protect their progress in Pikmin 4.
Auto Save, as the name itself suggests, will automatically save your progress at certain places and times. You don’t need to type in special commands or do anything for autosave to function. Manual Save, on the other hand, requires player input, and as such, you will need to press some buttons to manually save your progress.
Auto Save
In Pikmin 4, the game will perform an autosave at certain points. These are –
- After training Oatchi
- Buying items and gear at the Lab
- When the player enters a cave
- When the player exits a cave
- When the payer enters a new area
- At the end of the in-game day
These are all the auto-save points in the game. Every critical point has been covered by the auto-save feature, so you wouldn’t have to worry much in case you forgot to do a manual save.
Manual Save
When it comes to manual saving, it’s a bit complicated. See, in most other games, even the ones on the Nintendo Switch, you could just pause, then perform a manual save via the menu, and then go back to whatever you were doing in the game. However, that’s not the case here. In Pikmin 4, you would need to Pause, enter the Options screen, and then select the “Save and Return to Title” sub-option. This will save your progress but also take you back to the title screen. It’s not something too annoying, but it is kind of a nuisance. Also, manual saving won’t be available if you are out there exploring. It can only be accessed from the Rescue Command Post. Note that you can only have up to three saved files at a time. You can delete a saved file by simply selecting it and then pressing the X button on your controller. Overwriting save files is also possible in the game.
Anyway, now you know how to save in-game progress in Pikmin 4. For more such guides, make sure to visit DigiStatement daily. Also read: Pikmin 4 on PC: Is It Playable